I've visited a few parts of Canada over the years (Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City), but I can't say I'm up on the people or culture, since I was generally in Canada for a reason other than visiting Canada. Growing up in upstate New York, I've run into Canadians outside their native environment as well. Truth be told, they haven't given me much to say about them (not that that's a bad thing).

Other than that Canadians generally seem to be nice, apparently they all carry first aid supplies everywhere; a friend of mine got dropped onto gravel while crowd surfing and was using his map to try and wipe pieces of it out of his elbow. Eventually he commented "ah, this won't stop bleeding!" and was overheard; suddenly there were three or four people handing him sanitation wipes and gauze and the like.

I suppose I might describe Canada in anime terms as being Akari from YuruYuri. I suppose that would make the USA Kyoko.

Also, somehow I've never seen the milk in a bag thing, but I'm going to have to rectify that next time I go to Canada; maybe even drink some of it.

I have some great friends from Canada, so for me Canada sounds awesome, and the people sound awesome too. I understand how Canadians feel when people compare them to Americans, they are totally different. It's the same with New Zealanders being compared to Australians. Grr, so annoying.

oh yeah that's one way to turn a crowd of Canadians against you as a performer. Start you thank you's or other monologue off with "I've never been to America..." or "You Americans..." Watch the 'NICE Canadian" vanish in a heartbeat.

Sad to say my ear isn't sophisticated enough to tell New Zealanders, Australians and even some of the stranger British accents apart from each other. But I do understand why you wouldn't want to be mistaken for each. It's not even matter of thinking the other is less, it's just that they are NOT you.

I've visited a few parts of Canada over the years (Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City), but I can't say I'm up on the people or culture, since I was generally in Canada for a reason other than visiting Canada. Growing up in upstate New York, I've run into Canadians outside their native environment as well. Truth be told, they haven't given me much to say about them (not that that's a bad thing).

Other than that Canadians generally seem to be nice, apparently they all carry first aid supplies everywhere; a friend of mine got dropped onto gravel while crowd surfing and was using his map to try and wipe pieces of it out of his elbow. Eventually he commented "ah, this won't stop bleeding!" and was overheard; suddenly there were three or four people handing him sanitation wipes and gauze and the like.

I suppose I might describe Canada in anime terms as being Akari from YuruYuri. I suppose that would make the USA Kyoko.

Also, somehow I've never seen the milk in a bag thing, but I'm going to have to rectify that next time I go to Canada; maybe even drink some of it.

Akari is the one who always vanishes and doesn't get noticed? but dreams of being an idol? ... how... astute.

Correct, though it wasn't meant in a bad way, it just seemed an apt comparison.

Akari is always nice, helpful, prepared for pretty much anything. She just never gets the attention she wants because Kyoko draws it all to her.

Whether Canadians, like Akari, want more attention, I couldn't say. I would imagine they sometimes wish their deeds would be acknowledged though.

But, seriously, I don't understand the earlier bit about the US letting Canadians run their own country. The US has invaded Canada twice I think--at least once during the Revolutionary War and again during the War of 1812--and the Canadians kicked US ass both times. Sorry, historical fact. We should probably be grateful that Canada didn't feel like expanding southwards.

Lastly, leave my Quebec cousins alone! Really, leave them alone--that's what they want. And when my native Louisiana secedes a second time from the US, leave us alone, too! We make wonderful neighbors if everyone else would just stop pretending that they own our house. Never did understand all that "we speak English so all your stuff belongs to us" bullshit.

Who could say anything bad about Canada? I've never been there, But I've always believed that they're usually peaceful. Now I know every country has it's nice crowd and its mean crowd, but as far as I'm concerned, most Canadians seem nice. It may be a stereotype which may or may not be true, but that's what I'll stick with since I have no knowledge of what the people are truly like (I live way down south here in Florida, so I am the farthest away from the Canadian Border as possible).

Oh, I also really love Canadian Bacon. I don't care if it's actually Canadian or not, or the fact that its "just ham" I still love it, and Maple Syrup as well.

Funny thing. Those movies Strange Brew (early 80's), and Canadian Bacon (mid 90's?) are Canadian Comedies mostly done by the same alumni of actors from Second City Television. ("The Great White North" with Bob and Doug Mackenzie was a feature of SCTV and popular enough for them to make a movie, Strange Brew was one of John Candy's last movies and he too was a part of SCTV )

Who could say anything bad about Canada? I've never been there, But I've always believed that they're usually peaceful. Now I know every country has it's nice crowd and its mean crowd, but as far as I'm concerned, most Canadians seem nice. It may be a stereotype which may or may not be true, but that's what I'll stick with since I have no knowledge of what the people are truly like (I live way down south here in Florida, so I am the farthest away from the Canadian Border as possible).

Oh, I also really love Canadian Bacon. I don't care if it's actually Canadian or not, or the fact that its "just ham" I still love it, and Maple Syrup as well.

The 'correct term is 'Back Bacon' funny thing side bacon is much more common in stores.

As for Florida you should see plenty of Canadians down there every winter. But only the Wussy/Wealthy ones. ;}

But, seriously, I don't understand the earlier bit about the US letting Canadians run their own country. The US has invaded Canada twice I think--at least once during the Revolutionary War and again during the War of 1812--and the Canadians kicked US ass both times. Sorry, historical fact. We should probably be grateful that Canada didn't feel like expanding southwards.

Lastly, leave my Quebec cousins alone! Really, leave them alone--that's what they want. And when my native Louisiana secedes a second time from the US, leave us alone, too! We make wonderful neighbors if everyone else would just stop pretending that they own our house. Never did understand all that "we speak English so all your stuff belongs to us" bullshit.

Oh, yeah--Canada, right? Seems OK. And Quebec? C'est bon!

(emphasis mine)

The earlier comment was about high handed actions on behalf of the US government against our country over the years.

a) part of the legend of the Avro Arrow ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_CF-105_Arrow ) Includes American interference, and even conspiracy theories about how the americans didn't want us to build interceptors that could CATCH the U2's they were claiming didn't exist.

b) in the 1980's Canada engaged in a series of 'free trade' negotiations culminating on our signing NAFTA. In the nearly 30 years since the United States has never accepted a NAFTA ruling in our favour and continued to charge tariffs and taxes that violate a treaty that they signed with us and we signed with them. Despite the misgivings of those who didn't trust you to adhere to your own treaty.

c) "Blame Canada" is not just a line from South Park, It's been a theme in comments and attitudes during a number of American and North American Crisis. Mad Cow disease, The big power failure in 2004, efforts to blame terrorist actions in the US (including 9/11) on our more liberal immigration policies and our then "No passport required" Border with the US

d) Over a decade ago. With the support of the largest non-Catholic Denomination in Canada we expanded marriage and divorce to include gays and lesbians. There are some in the US who really don't like that. and are vocal about it.

c) around the same time as (d) we considered decriminalizing Marjuana. At the time the news was full of heavy handed statements from the US Ambassader about 'security risks' and our largest trading partner closing its borders to us. This was and is perceived here as a very crude and unsubtle attempt by the US to tell us how to run our own country.

That's what the "Let us run our own country" comment was about

about Quebec and Louisiana: I WAS tempted to make a snide comment about the two states going on to liberate Acadia from her current status as the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

But that would be really opening a complex can of worms. Suffice to say Quebec's relation with the rest of Canada are not as simple as your facile comments on the matter would suggest. And I'd rather not turn this to long debate about language right, federal provincial relations, forced emmigration and transplantation and all the other political social and historical battles that go back to before the United States was a country.

That last bit sounds very familiar to anyone from southern Louisiana. We've had real fun since we were bought and sold as a whole back in 1803. And the rape of our culture continues. . .

NAFTA sucked from the beginning. Big power outage was the fault of a power grid over half-a-century old. And how can anyone blame 9/11 terrorism on Canadian immigration policies, especially when the terrorists attended flight school here in the US? That's just outright denial. As for Mad Cow Disease, I originally back then thought it was something to do with Hillary Clinton, but the intervening years have forced me to respect her.

Funny thing. Those movies Strange Brew (early 80's), and Canadian Bacon (mid 90's?) are Canadian Comedies mostly done by the same alumni of actors from Second City Television. ("The Great White North" with Bob and Doug Mackenzie was a feature of SCTV and popular enough for them to make a movie, Strange Brew was one of John Candy's last movies and he too was a part of SCTV )

Who could say anything bad about Canada? I've never been there, But I've always believed that they're usually peaceful. Now I know every country has it's nice crowd and its mean crowd, but as far as I'm concerned, most Canadians seem nice. It may be a stereotype which may or may not be true, but that's what I'll stick with since I have no knowledge of what the people are truly like (I live way down south here in Florida, so I am the farthest away from the Canadian Border as possible).

Oh, I also really love Canadian Bacon. I don't care if it's actually Canadian or not, or the fact that its "just ham" I still love it, and Maple Syrup as well.

The 'correct term is 'Back Bacon' funny thing side bacon is much more common in stores.

As for Florida you should see plenty of Canadians down there every winter. But only the Wussy/Wealthy ones. ;}

Neat, I love learning stuff! I had no clue that you guys refer to it as "Black Bacon"...Well, whatever it is, it's really good! As for down here, You're right, during snowbird season I do see quite a few Canadians who drive all the way down here (That's a long drive!) lol They also usually clog up the roads because they have no clue where they're going (same can be said for any snowbird though).

But, seriously, I don't understand the earlier bit about the US letting Canadians run their own country. The US has invaded Canada twice I think--at least once during the Revolutionary War and again during the War of 1812--and the Canadians kicked US ass both times. Sorry, historical fact. We should probably be grateful that Canada didn't feel like expanding southwards.

Lastly, leave my Quebec cousins alone! Really, leave them alone--that's what they want. And when my native Louisiana secedes a second time from the US, leave us alone, too! We make wonderful neighbors if everyone else would just stop pretending that they own our house. Never did understand all that "we speak English so all your stuff belongs to us" bullshit.

Oh, yeah--Canada, right? Seems OK. And Quebec? C'est bon!

(emphasis mine)

The earlier comment was about high handed actions on behalf of the US government against our country over the years.

a) part of the legend of the Avro Arrow ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_CF-105_Arrow ) Includes American interference, and even conspiracy theories about how the americans didn't want us to build interceptors that could CATCH the U2's they were claiming didn't exist.

b) in the 1980's Canada engaged in a series of 'free trade' negotiations culminating on our signing NAFTA. In the nearly 30 years since the United States has never accepted a NAFTA ruling in our favour and continued to charge tariffs and taxes that violate a treaty that they signed with us and we signed with them. Despite the misgivings of those who didn't trust you to adhere to your own treaty.

c) "Blame Canada" is not just a line from South Park, It's been a theme in comments and attitudes during a number of American and North American Crisis. Mad Cow disease, The big power failure in 2004, efforts to blame terrorist actions in the US (including 9/11) on our more liberal immigration policies and our then "No passport required" Border with the US

d) Over a decade ago. With the support of the largest non-Catholic Denomination in Canada we expanded marriage and divorce to include gays and lesbians. There are some in the US who really don't like that. and are vocal about it.

c) around the same time as (d) we considered decriminalizing Marjuana. At the time the news was full of heavy handed statements from the US Ambassader about 'security risks' and our largest trading partner closing its borders to us. This was and is perceived here as a very crude and unsubtle attempt by the US to tell us how to run our own country.

That's what the "Let us run our own country" comment was about

about Quebec and Louisiana: I WAS tempted to make a snide comment about the two states going on to liberate Acadia from her current status as the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

But that would be really opening a complex can of worms. Suffice to say Quebec's relation with the rest of Canada are not as simple as your facile comments on the matter would suggest. And I'd rather not turn this to long debate about language right, federal provincial relations, forced emmigration and transplantation and all the other political social and historical battles that go back to before the United States was a country.

That last bit sounds very familiar to anyone from southern Louisiana. We've had real fun since we were bought and sold as a whole back in 1803. And the rape of our culture continues. . .

NAFTA sucked from the beginning. Big power outage was the fault of a power grid over half-a-century old. And how can anyone blame 9/11 terrorism on Canadian immigration policies, especially when the terrorists attended flight school here in the US? That's just outright denial. As for Mad Cow Disease, I originally back then thought it was something to do with Hillary Clinton, but the intervening years have forced me to respect her.

(emphasis mine)

Unfortunately it should. New Scotia , New Brunswick and a part of Maine were known as Acadie (Acadia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acadia ) under French rule. Sometime after the British took it over as part of fighting with France they went to war with france again and in a bit of 'ethnic cleansing' shipped a whole crowd of Acadians down to Louisiana where they 'Acadian' became corrupted to 'Cajun'

Now modern "Vrais Quebequois" tend to not care about French Canadian causes outside of Quebec other than as a reason said French Canadians should move to Quebec and help them separate. But the Expulsion of the Acadians is definitely an unpleasant and divisive part of Canada's pre-history. (We didn't become a country until 1867 remember, and even then our supreme court was the British Privy Council until we brought our constitution home in the 1980's)

Canada isn't overlooked since it's a G10 member, not a member of the UN Security council since we have no nukes. Many of us view Americans as southern cousins, we have similar views but our country isn't business oriented like the USA, we're more socially oriented ( not socialist politically although there is a strong presence of that here, but most Canadians are not pro socialist ). We don't have a drive to prove we're the best at everything, we just want to be the best that we can be. If anyone notices good, if not that's fine as well since recognition wasn't the goal. Hope that helps